Melanie's Story
by asuka84
Summary: Melanie is changing, but not like most girls. She is transforming into a vampire. She is growing faster, and more beautiful by the year. What can a girl do especially if she meets someone who she could love, but does not want to endanger him?


Changing

Changing

I could feel the warmth of the sun's rays on my skin, and the light filtered through my eyelids. I could hear each bird's song clearly. Each note was well defined. I imagined my mother could hear them more clearly.

Suddenly, as loud as a blow horn, the alarm clock beside my bed buzzed. The sound echoed in my head. I sighed and rolled over quickly to turn it off. Silence filled the room once more, but outside the birdsong had stopped.

My feet had hit the ground before I could draw breath. _You moved too fast again! This has to be controlled as soon as possible or you could be found out! _The voice in my head warned me again. Every year I become more like a vampire. I can hear and see clearer, become stronger both physically and mentally, and move faster. My parents worry this could expose our secret human-vampire family.

_Get a hold of yourself! No ignorant human is going to figure out your secret. The only thing you have to worry about is if another vampire coven comes this far. _The voice in my head is becoming like a second person inside of me. I laid back down on my bed and stared at the ceiling drawing in a deep breath.

My own voice argued. _Remember what Zelda said? Most covens stick to their native land! The Denali is not going to come this far looking for a stray vampire. For all they know, we could have died at sea!_

The two voices kept bickering. I sighed and tuned them out. Zelda peeked through my half-open door. "Melanie, are you awake?" Her voice was quiet, but I could hear it as if she had whispered directly into my ear.

"Yeah, I'm just having a small argument to myself," I sighed jokingly. Zelda chuckled and shook her head. "I get you Mom. Tell them to be quiet so I can get up and go about my day."

Zelda walked away and I rolled off the bed. My feet hit the ground in an instantaneous movement. I sighed again. In only a few more days, I would be eighteen, and I would mature a little more. Everyday I seemed to move faster. _This is just part of being half-vampire. You could grow increasingly more like a human, _my second voice said quietly.

I forced my feet to move slowly towards my oversized closet to change. Zelda had a strange obsession for clothes. In her human life, she had been the most famous model in Germany, and she won countless beauty contests. As a result, I never had to wear the same outfit more than once, but I liked my familiar clothes that Zelda (much to her irritation) let me keep.

It was a warm spring day, and all of my jeans are locked away for the summer. I chose denim caprices and a simple light blue polo and slipped into them. Zelda was frying some eggs. "'Morning love!" Her voice was like the most beautiful bell chiming.

"Good morning!" My voice sounded different. I shook my head to clear my mind. "What are you making?"

"Your voice is different. There is something more… musical about it," Zelda observed. She perked up a little. "Well, I figured it's time I make you something."

I smiled and nodded my thanks. My new voice scared me slightly. Was this part of my "growth"? _It is normal. _My companion voice was trying to reassure me. That was slightly comforting.

"How do you want your toast?" Zelda asked casually.

"Not burnt black please," I joked. Zelda's sweet bell laugh echoed off the walls of our small kitchen. I joined in with her, but stopped short after a few moments. My laugh had changed from sounding as if I had a cold to a sweet chiming.

"You are changing so fast. First it was your intelligence, then your speed, now it is your voice." She sighed slightly sadly. "I suppose this is normal."

"Mom, what is happening to me? So many strange things happen. I keep hearing a second voice inside my head. It's as if someone else is there with me." My voice cracked slightly. "Am I going crazy?"

A smothering silence filled the room while Zelda thought. When she did reply, her bell voice strained to hide her stress. "No, I do not think you are going crazy. This might just be a normal thing for you… considering your heritage. Perhaps you have a split personality."

A quick shudder ran down my spine. "So you're telling me that one voice is my human self, and the other is my vampire side," I repeated. Zelda nodded slowly. For some unfathomable reason, fear gripped my heart with icy talons.

"Melanie, you should start heading to school." My mother's voice broke through the faint mist swirling inside my head. Her voice grew stern. "Also, do _not _forget to watch yourself."

One of my voices said sarcastically, _Like that is going to be easy! _My vampire voice protested. _It will be if we try hard enough, and it is up to us to keep her in check._ I quickly tuned them out before an intense argument could begin.

"Okay Mom. I'll see you later." My voice weighed down by stress still held its musical note. I grabbed my bag, swung it over my shoulder, and walked out the door. When I was all clear, I talked to the voices in my head. "What do you guys think I should do about everything?"

My human voice replied first. _Just act as if everything is normal. You know how unobservant humans can be if you do not draw too much attention to yourself. _

_For once, I agree. Although if I were you I would avoid talking as much as possible today. Your voice may not scare your mother, but I can already see your classmates' reactions, _my vampire voice answered.

"Alright I'll do that." This simple phrase sounded like a beautiful song. Now I see what Zelda meant by it was easy to charm unsuspecting humans. I chuckled to myself, and shuddered as a wind-chime sound escaped my lips. To make it through the day, I would have to pretend that I had lost my voice.

I usually drove my car, but today, I wanted to walk. Every muscle in my body protested the slow human pace I had to keep. Tonight, I would need to run until I could no longer move. I had been sleeping less each night, and it was not making me tired.

The school came into sight after 10 minutes. I was sure everyone in the city could hear my thumping heart. I focused on sealing my lips so that only my breathing could be heard. None of my friends had arrived yet, so I slipped through the halls and into my first period classroom.

"Good morning Miss Meyer," my teacher, Mr. Sunkit, said warmly, looking up. His attention was back on the computer when I smiled back when I usually would have said something. He looked up again and asked, "Did you loose your voice?"

I nodded and wrote on the board in a beautiful handwriting that was not my own. _Yes, I did. Strap throat is going around this year. My father fell ill, and I probably picked it up from him._

Mr. Sunkit thought for a moment then nodded. "I will miss your contributions to the class today. Do not worry Melanie, your voice will be back soon." He laughed lightly. I smiled a laugh at him.

I walked quietly to the back of the room and set my bag on a desk. Strangely, my stomach was not growling as usual. I wanted to go to the cafeteria, but it was weird down there if you are alone. I sat down and dug a very old copy of _Mythical Creatures, A-Z,_ which I had checked out of the school library, out of my bag.

My vampire voice echoed inside my head. _Why are you reading that book? Are you hoping that you will find something to explain what is happening to you? _A small chuckle rang in my ears and the voice seemed to whisper right into my ear instead of my head. _You are so rare that no one has never even heard of something like you. I think you are just wasting your time, Melanie._

I thought, _that may be true, but I have to at least try._

I continued to read the book. In the _V_ section, I saw a small article on vampires mating. The paragraph explained that vampires could mate with each other, but the baby rarely survived. I read also they could mate with humans, but the offspring rarely, if ever, survived. At the end was a page number to go to for more information.

Flipping through the worn pages swiftly, I found a small entry on half-breeds. It read, _Half-breeds are rare in number and have no specific appearance. Perhaps the most common cross was human and vampire. These creatures are amazing. They can stay as a human, but in rare cases, they actually become full vampires with the exception of a beating heart. The transformation process replaces their normal human puberty. This period in life usually happens in the teen years and slows the internal clock greatly. In most cases, the specimen freezes around the age of twenty._

When the bell rang, the halls filled with students yelling at each other and stopping to talk next to the walls. Couples kissed good-bye for the hour, and friends waved to each other. The familiar empty pit filled my heart. I slipped the book into my bag. The seats around me quickly filled.

I looked up at the clock. There was six and a half hours before I could go home. Time passed and the room became almost unbearably loud. I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Someone had walked into the room. I looked up once more to see who it was, and my breath caught in my throat, threatening to suffocate me.

The guy who had walked in was inhumanly beautiful. His eyes were a beautiful light green, his skin was perfectly pale, and every angle of his face was perfect. His dark brown, almost black, hair was tousled and fell to his ears all around. I drew in a deep breath and caught a sweet scent.

My eyes closed and I savored the beautiful moment. I wanted it burned into my mind forever. _He seems strangely like your mother. _I shook my head slightly in response to my vampire voice.

The beautiful boy sat in the empty seat next to mine. He closed his eyes as if he was concentrating. I heard him draw in a deep breath and opened them slowly. A puzzled expression glowed in his eyes. I cocked my head to one side and looked at him.

"Hello." His voice was almost sparkling. "I am new here. Do you think you could help me after first period?"

I nodded and drew a small piece of paper from my bag. In the strange handwriting I wrote, 'Yes, I will. My name is Melanie, and I lost my voice. I am sorry if I seem rude by not talking to you directly. What is your name?'

He smiled. In writing that was almost calligraphy, he wrote, 'I understand. My name is Gavin. Did you loose your voice? If so, then you are not being rude. I understand if you are sick.'

I smiled my thanks to him. Mr. Sunkit was at the front of the room giving a lecture on inductive reasoning. I followed every word he said with ease. I felt Gavin staring at me. I whispered musically, "Pay attention!"

Gavin smiled in amusement. I elbowed him slightly, but instead of the human warmth, his skin felt cold. I shuddered reflexively, but I was not surprised. He cleared his throat and scooted to the far edge of his seat. I felt anger and anxiety rolling off him like waves.

'Are you all right?' I slipped the paper over to his desk, but Gavin ignored me for the rest of the period.

At the bell, he swept out of the room quickly and gracefully. I was determined to find out what had bugged Gavin so much. Maybe he did not like being touched. Even my swift mind couldn't understand him.

I trudged to second period Chemistry. Ironically, Gavin was sitting in the front of the room. I sat down next to him. 'I am sorry if I offended you earlier. It was rude of me, and I hope that you can forgive me.'

He glanced down at the note, and a small smile formed in the corners of his mouth. He took out a pen and replied to my note. 'Melanie, do not worry about offending me. I'm just not used to being touched. That is all. In truth, your touch sent something like an electric shock through me. What does that mean?'

I thought for a moment and answered his innocent question. 'Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe there is something special about me to your body. It happens all the time, so do not ponder it for too long. You may end up regretting it.'

I knew perfectly well what that electric shock meant. It meant that he was physically drawn to me, even if he didn't realize it. I suppressed a shudder. Never before had I ever made anyone feel like this. I thought about it until he slipped the piece of paper back onto my desk.

'That is very interesting, and I thank you for your insight. Although, I do believe you are wrong about me regretting pondering the matter too long. I am curious to know myself better. Perhaps you would like to help me.'

His last statement was not a question; it was not even a request. He was flat out telling me to help him. A sly smile found its way to the corner of my lips. 'I do believe that was not a request, or even a question. If I am right, you just said that I am going to help you, whether or not I want to.'

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, and he was broadly grinning. Humor and mischief blended in his beautiful green eyes. 'Melanie, what kind of man do you think I am? I am not telling you to help me; I am requesting your assistance. The desire to understand my heart better is one that I cannot fulfill myself. That is my reasoning.'

I shook my head in disbelief. Gavin always managed to captivate me with his innocence. 'Why do I always believe you? Fine, I accept your word, and I will do my best to help you with your journey of self-discovery. I only ask one thing of you, and I will do the same. Please, whatever you do, do NOT fall in love with me. In return, I will not fall in love with you. I have my reasons for such a request, but I do not and cannot share them right at the moment.'

Gavin read my note. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. After a moment, he nodded in understanding. "You have my solemn oath that my heart will never yearn for you. Promise me this at least. If you do fall in love with me, I beg you not to hide your true feelings. That would only put me through more pain because you were in pain. I suppose we are friends now, and hopefully, that will never change."

I nodded to Gavin. He flashed me that beautiful crooked grin, and we listened to the teacher's droning hum until the bell echoed in the dead silence of the halls. "I'll see you later then. Or do you have lunch?" he asked.

"I have lunch," I replied in the alien voice. He looked at me, surprise then joy flashing in his eyes.

"So do I." His voice was still musical, and my ears longed to hear that sound again. "Please allow me the honor of walking you to lunch, Melanie." I bobbed my head up and down dumbly.

Author's Notes: I am sorry for not continuing Vampire Diaries. I am writing this using the same characters and story line, only with a twist. You will find out what that is later. I will continue Vampire Diaries, but this story will be written as a companion.


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